Meet the blind groundhopper who visited a Northamptonshire village football club this weekend – his 1,885th ground in 20 years

On Saturday November 1, John Stancombe, 54, from Lowestoft, made the long trip to Northamptonshire to watch Harpole Firsts take on Earls Barton – his 1,885th ground since he began groundhopping in 2006.

Speaking to the Chronicle and Echo, John said: “It’s the first game I’ve ever done in the Northants Combination. I’ve done clubs that used to be in the UCL over the years, like Woodford and Burton Park, but this county’s always been one of the hardest for me to reach.”

John left home at six in the morning, travelling via London before arriving in Northampton, then catching a bus to Harpole.

He said: “I left home at six and got back about half eleven at night. It’s not easy relying on public transport. The line out of Euston doesn’t go near the East Midlands route, so I’ve got to come all the way into London and back out again.”

When he arrived, he was met by Harpole Vets manager Tim Knowles, who looked after him for the day and provided live commentary during the side’s 8–0 win.

Tim said: “The minute we get out of the car, he needs to get his bearings. So I spent five minutes explaining what was to his north, south, west and east. He wants to know the name of the street running parallel to the club, what’s behind the pitch, how far he is from the touchline, what the weather’s like, what the wind is doing – just so he can give himself a visual in his mind of the environment.”

He added: “I had no idea how important verbalising surrounding environments is to somebody who’s blind. His independence is frightening. Once he’s on his own, he’s completely self-sufficient. It’s a marvel to watch somebody that inhibited be that independent.”

John, who has been totally blind since 2006 and is also hard of hearing, relies on live descriptions to follow the action. During the match, he sat in the dugout with Tim by his side, listening intently to every kick.

He said: “Tim commentated well, the game was good – it finished 8–0 – and it’s a good club. You can’t criticise anyone who gives up their time to help me, however good or bad they are.”

John also impressed Tim with his preparation. Tim said: “He turned up with a full A4 printed form guide for the league – tables, results, the last 25 grounds he’s been to. He knew everything about local football – Raunds, Roade, Wellingborough Town, Whitworths. He’s never even been there, but he knew it all. I was like, how the hell do you know more about Northampton football than I do, and I’ve lived here for 48 years? He was a very innocent guy, very knowledgeable on data, and had a wicked sense of humour – quite cheeky.”

John, who types up detailed match reports with a screen reader, said football has kept him going through difficult times. He said: “When you’re blind, getting out gives you an objective. If I didn’t do this, I’d just be sat indoors. I’ve got various health issues, but as long as there are clubs willing to help me, I’ll carry on.”

He also hopes his story helps raise awareness about accessibility and understanding. He added: “Blind people at football overall – it’s just the general issue of awareness that needs to be improved. You still hear things like ‘look’ or ‘here’ said to a blind person. It’s not meant badly, but it shows how people forget how we experience the world.”

Despite the long journey, John says Harpole made it worthwhile. “It was a really good day,” he said. “Everyone at the club was friendly and helpful. As long as there are people like that in football, I’ll keep going until I reach 2,000 grounds.”